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Thursday, September 08, 2005

Chem Board Warns Refineries & Chem Plants to Take Special Precautions When Starting Up After Katrina

Warning that "adhering to appropriate safety management systems can spell the difference between a safe and uneventful startup and a serious incident," the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board issued a bulletin warning gulf coast refineries and chemical plants that shut down due to Hurricane Katrina to take special precuations when starting up again.

This is a time to make sure no more lives are claimed by this tragedy and no further delays occur in the production of essential transportation fuels and chemicals. Facilities should pay particular attention to process safety requirements during this critical period to assure a safe and expeditious return to operation.

The CSB cited three catastrophic incidents that had occurredduring the startup of continuous process equipment, killing 22 workers and causing 170 injuries.

While these incidents had a variety of causes, their occurrence underscores the hazards of startup even under “normal” conditions. In the wake of the hurricane, adhering to appropriate safety management systems can spell the difference between a safe and uneventful startup and a serious incident.

The Board recommended that facilities adhere to management of change processes before modifying any startup procedures, ensuring that adequate staffing and expertise are available, that up-to-date startup procedures are used that that non-essential personnel are kept a safe distance from the operations.

to recognize that "human performance may be compromised due to crisis conditions." Board Chairman Carolyn Merritt added that "Many employees in the region have lost homes or loved ones in the hurricane, adding to the stress of an already difficult work situation."